THE IMPORTANCE OF STAFF

A legislator's staff is very, very important. Staff members serve as your lawmakers' eyes and ears, bringing issues to their attention and relaying constituent concerns.

While there is no substitute for working directly with a lawmaker, building rapport with his or her staff is essential. Never overlook the opportunity to meet with staff aides, particularly if they are working closely with the lawmaker on an issue of concern to you. Often, a lawmaker will ask the staff "expert" to write the legislation on his or her behalf. Each federal lawmaker's office is organized differently, but most offices include the following positions:

• Administrative Assistant. The "AA" is the lawmaker's chief of staff and is normally based in Washington.
  
  

• Appointments Secretary or scheduler is the keeper of the lawmaker's calendar. Get to know this staff person if you want to have ready access to the lawmaker.
  
  

• Director of the district or state office is the staff person nearest to the constituents and, as a result, is particularly sensitive to your concerns. He or she can be an excellent conduit for conveying your views to the lawmaker.
  
  

• Legislative Assistants are issue specialists. Each representative or senator should have a natural resources or environmental legislative assistant.
  
  

• Committee Staff. If a lawmaker has attained substantial seniority on a committee or subcommittee, his or her work may be handled by staff "experts" on the issues within the committee's jurisdiction.
  
  

• Case Workers are responsible for responding to non-legislative constituent concerns-such as problems constituents may have with government agencies.

For more about the role of the legislative staff, log on to http://www.capitolconnect.com/aar/need2know/staff.asp.

Forest Resources Association Inc. (FRA)
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